EDITOR:

The First Amendment we cherish as Americans is not absolute. It provides us with the right to address those who govern us… at all levels. Your “right” exists until it meets the fuzzy line between you and someone who may be injured by the exercise of that right. This has been argued for years and ultimately requires the function of the third arm of government to pass judgement on who shall prevail.

All forms of communication are subject to “unwritten” social borders. Simply “Thou shalt not lie”… speak or represent the truth. Withholding facts and truths that may have a strong bearing on the public’s ability to select those by whom we shall be governed is a form of violation of the First. Burying public facts also fits.

I recently wrote a letter to the editor pointing out certain political candidates for office in the upcoming August primary were flying “false flags”, running without party backing simply to gain power. I made comment that at least Kelli VanGinhoven was appropriately running as a Democrat. In that statement I referred to her with a title she uses on social media along with a photograph of her and another woman. The Press was forwarded (by me) a photo proving her self-identifying as “Commie Cupcake”. That identifier was removed from my letter. I view this as a form of hiding public facts about a sitting politician running for re-election. Is Kelli running as a Democrat who supports Communist ideology, and if so shouldn’t the voting public be made aware of that truth. Perhaps Kelli would like to respond and explain her true political beliefs.

Again, the First Amendment is not absolute, but obvious omissions of facts and truths are as bad as lies and other false representations.

The recall election did not permit roughly 40% of the electorate to vote, only roughly 20% of voters may now cast pro/con votes for her. However, her vote can influence 100% of Delta County.

I would ask that the Press reprint my letter of July 10 in its entirety, or certainly this letter without edit or explanation of it.

Michael A. Glass

Nahma